Karin's Turn
by Revolver OtaconAj
Summary: After Ichigo's heroic sacrifice, Karin learns about her heritage and decides to develop her unique powers in order to protect her family from new threats.
1. Tears In The Rain

**Well isn't this a surprise? Your dear author's writing another story! I think that this will be the best one yet! And don't worry I'll still continue FNAM. I think that I'm getting better, and I still think that it could be a great story. I just have problems with dialogue and pacing. Well I've been stalling** **long enough Let's Go!**

The light of the sun reflected off the river in a way too beautiful and happy for her mood. There were few people walking around the banks. A mother was shooing her kid away as he kept jumping in the nearby puddles. A boy and a girl who both would have been around her brother's age were passionately kissing and petting each other. The image disgusted her, but also made her feel a bit sad.

Had he even kissed a girl before he died? Karin wasn't really interested in boys, but she had no doubt that he had been interested in girls. He had been almost sixteen for god's sake! Surely someone his age would have had a couple girlfriends by his age. But as she thought about it some more, she realized that he most likely didn't.

After all he never did bring one home. And when dad teased him about it he would hit him and call him a pervert.

He was just too honorable to purposely think of anyone that way.

(unlike that… _Thing_.)

Karin noticed the things that most people couldn't see, that some didn't want to see, but others _wished_ they could see.

She both hated and pitied those people. They could stay happily ignorant of the spirit world and the monsters that came with it, but still they wished that they could have the ability to see the dead, maybe even speak to them like ghosts have nothing better to do then to do then be annoyed by them.

"Hey Karin Chan!"

Great. The panty sniffer had found her.

"Karin Chan!"

She silently mumbled something very obscene under her breath, and turned around to briefly face… "It".

At first glance, someone might have mistaken him for her brother. His orange hair was spikey as always, if slightly longer than usual. His eyes were the same, His style of clothing was the same, his lanky build was the same, even his _voice_ was somehow the same.

But he wasn't.

And never would be.

"Karin… Chan!" Ichigo's body snatcher said breathlessly as he finally caught up to her.

Karin closed her eyes and frowned. She had taken to ignoring him and pretending he didn't exist just like the ghosts. The only time she would ever speak to him was when she was forced too.

"Wow! What's with the silent treatment?"

He _Knew_ exactly why she was doing this, and yet he kept trying to talk to her, like she was one of the girls he had over once a month.

He may have convinced dad, Yuzu, and Ichigo's stupid friends that he was Ichigo but she knew the truth.

She didn't want to admit it at first. She had thought that after he returned that he was just acting strange. Maybe he had finally left the World of the Shinigami behind, and became a normal teenager. Wouldn't that had been great? Ichigo would no longer need to fight and get hurt.

It took her so long to figure it out that she felt stupid for believing that he was ever Ichigo in the first place. It had been so obvious.

Ichigo didn't flirt.

Ichigo didn't whine.

Ichigo didn't come home with bruises.

Ichigo wasn't some pansy who got upset after a bug died.

And most importantly Ichigo didn't smile.

It was such a rare thing to see him smile. But when he did… It wasn't the creepy constant smirk that this imposter had.

It was a smile that said that everything would be alright.

"Karin Chan?"

She turned around and stared at him. His face was etched with concern and pity

"Look, I know you know that I'm not Ichigo but he would-

" _Shut up!"_

Karin had had enough. It was one thing for him to try to win her love by acting more and more like him, but actually admitting what she had realized just a short while ago…

It was just too much for her to bear

"I know You're not Ichigo! So stop acting like you are him."

"And… Just die already!" She yelled as her voice broke.

The imposter looked dumbstruck and shocked by her hurtful words. He then sighed and looked at her with concern.

"Karin… Are you crying?"

Karin didn't realize that she was. She rubbed her damp cheeks and turned her head.

She couldn't believe it. She was actually sobbing like Yuzu when one of her dolls broke, or like dad when he was being immature.

It was just like before mom died.

"Come one Karin Chan… Let's go home… It's starting to rain…"

It was.

 **Wow…**

 **I Think I did pretty good if I do say so myself!**

 **For those of you wondering I decided to do something different, and toy with the idea of Ichigo sacrificing himself valiantly, defeating the big bad but dying in the process.**

 **Sure he died a hero, but what about his loved ones? How is Orihime holding up for example? Will Karin now learn the truth about her heritage? If so, what kind of powers would she develop. All these questions will hopefully be answered in the next chapters, so be patient okay!**

 **Thanks to all of you who gave me advice and are constant inspirations to my writing! I wouldn't have come this far without all of you!**

 **Stay silver!**


	2. Fractured

"Please don't tell anyone."

"Ichigo" looked at her in confusion. "About the crying? Of course I won't tell any-

"I mean about what you and I know idiot. I don't want dad or yuzu to know about you."

Karin briefly looked down, enough to not notice "Ichigo's" very short wincing.

"Oh and If you tell anybody I cried, I'll kick you in the balls."

"Ichigo" suddenly let out a high pitich groan.

Karin was silent after that. And for the first time in what felt like forever, the imposter was silent as well.

For a while.

She thought he got the message. But she was wrong. He was now trying to cheer her up with stories of his exploits with Ichigo and his friends, apparently including a princess of some valley (Karin thought she saw a large blush appear on his face, and when later asked why, the imposter paled and covered his mouth in shock, stuttering as he changed the subject.) The rain was almost deafening however, and drowned out his words as the drops splattered on the streets and sidewalk. At one point she had enough and stopped and glared at him in response.

He was silent thereafter.

That didn't make the walk home any more enjoyable though. They didn't think to bring an umbrella, so they were forced to quicken up their pace as much as possible and sprint from street to street with only the light of the cars and lamps to guide them through the darkened town. Karin realized that without "Ichigo" to bother her, she now had no distractions from her thought's and of those led to nothing but memories that hurt almost as much as their mom's…

As _her_ Mom's death.

These were the kind of memories you hide deep inside you. The kind that define you and change you forever. The kind she _needed_ put behind a wall out of necessity.

The kind…

The kind that felt like poisoned daggers being struck into the recesses of her brain, opening them to the light for all to see, forever tainting the happy memories with their distressing implications.

And just to think that it had taken her so long for to see the truth.

.

.

.

 _Karin was alone playing on her Playstation 2. She was playing alone due to Ichigo being busy, her dad always being a complete jackass whenever he joined in and Yuzu being perpetually scared of video games due to watching her play Silent Hill._

 _The trouble started with a headache._

 _It started with just a little ache behind her eyes. As she rubbed her eye's the ache turned into pain, and the pain then turned into agony, as she fell to the floor in pain. For a frightful few seconds, she thought she was having an aneurysm, but the familiar sensation soon had her fearing more then that._

 _Some kind of invisible force was forcing her to ground, it's very presence in the air was suffocating her, and strangling any movement. It was like there was an invisible man holding her down and punching her brain._

 _Though she couldn't see them, she heard the sound of all the glass in the house cracking, and then shattering, spraying tiny shards in all directions_

" _Nee Chan!"_

 _Karin heard Yuzu yell in pain, so in spite of the pressure she stood up and rushed into the living room as fast as her legs could carry her. No matter how much she was trying to will her way to her sister, whatever force they had felt was slowly holding her back, winding her in the process, slowing her down to a crawl, and making her heart beat out of her chest in spite of everything._

 _Finally, she made it into the living room. The usually immaculate house was now an absolute mess. Windows had shattered, the lights had gone out…_

… _and Yuzu lied on the floor bleeding and crying. She was covered in little cuts and scrapes, and tucked into a little ball._

" _Yuzu!"_

 _Karin tried running to her aid, but fell on her hand's and knee's for all her trouble. The broken glass splintered even more as she cut her herself on the pieces of window, groaning in response from the sudden pain._

" _Yu... Zu!" Karin grimaced as she struggled to get up. Thousands of questions ran though her mind in those precious few seconds. But one question was on the top of the top of all others._

 _Where was dad and Ichigo?_

 _._

 _._

 _._

"Karin? We're home."

Karin looked and saw that he was right. Somehow she been so deep in thought, she hadn't even noticed the rest of the walk home. She also saw that he had put his jacket on her, and Karin was suddenly reminded of those weird romantic movies that Yuzu sometimes watched, where the one creep always tries to be romantic by giving his dumb girlfriend his jacket, as if that wasn't already the right thing to do.

Understandably she suddenly was very grossed out. However, since she was wet from her hair done to her feet, she decided to just bear with it.

As "Ichigo" opened the door, a large, white, annoying, and very obnoxious blur came doing a flying front kick out of the house, and unto his chest, sending "Ichigo" flying from the empty gray lawn, and into the front street.

"That's for getting your sister home late!" Dad roared, his childishly, cartoonish, over macho personality showing itself. "My poor sweet defenseless little Karin could been-

Great.

Dad was acting like a little kid again. It, reminded her of a gorilla beating its chest.

So while he was distracted, Karin didn't wait for an opportunity to punch him in the face.

"How's that for defenseless?" Karin shot back as he fell flat on his face.

"Ughhh…"

At that moment "Ichigo" got up cradling his stomach, with a look of destruction in his face.

"What… The Hell!" He clearly had wind knocked out of him. And a few bruises, plus a possible concussion, but other than that it seemed that by the way he looked, his ego was the most hurt.

Suddenly, dad came back up with his entire face covered in muck, already reinvigorated, and more than ready to continue to act like a fool.

"Such Language!" Isshin sprinted at "Ichigo", shortening the distance with a few flips to get over the fence, and jump "Ichigo". But the imposter was ready, kicking him through the fence, causing damage that they couldn't afford.

It reminded her of the old fights, between her brother and dad. Ichigo would always win. But now dad would actually win most of the time.

She had enough. Instead of continuing to watch the brawl on the street, she scowled, turned away, walked inside the bright house, and slammed the door shut.

"Nee san?"

Yuzu came into the room, with a concerned look on her face. She always was the most sensitive and caring member of the household, always caring for other people instead of herself.

"All you alright nee san? Is onii san and otou san fighting again?"

"Nee sa..." Karin said to herself.

Briefly, she wanted to tell Yuzu the truth about their "brother".

How she was an idiot.

How he was deceiving her

How all that new attention was not from her brother, but from a Parasite leeching off her family.

But all that quickly passed, when she realized how much it would hurt her. She had more than enough of _that_ and didn't need to start spreading it to someone else.

So instead, Karin forced a smile, and nodded. "Yes, Yuzu I'm just a little bit sick. I think I'm going to go lay down." At the very least she wasn't lying there.

Yuzu still wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? Without dinner?"

"Yes Yuzu I'm sure."

Yuzu smiled. Okay, I'll save you some of it for tomorrow!"

Karin then went up the stairs to her room, and all the emotions she kept held in exploded all at once.

It wasn't fair. Why did Ichigo have to die? Why didn't he listen to her? She nearly punched the wall, but instead went to her bed and found a pillow instead.

But she realized that she could scream, fight, and even cry, it still didn't change anything,

Her brother was gone, replaced by some body snatching pervert who couldn't win a fight against a one legged cat much less her dad.

The worst part was that she couldn't tell anybody. What if because of her, they get killed as well?

Worse yet, she was making her family worry enough. She was failing in her promise. And after this revelation dawned on her, nothing could stop the tears.

She covered herself in her green blanket, and fell asleep with the lights on, barely noticing the arrival and sudden disappearance of a few of the evil spirits.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Yeah I've changed the format of the notes. From now on they will only be done here. So would do you guy's think? Did I get all the emotions right? Anyway if you want to see my see my deviant art page go check it out! I've got a bunch of my drawings… And something else planned.**

 **Wink Wink. (;**

 **Thank you all for the constant patience and your continued viewership! It really is awesome how far I came and I couldn't do it without all of you! And thanks to Abei34 for his continued support.**


	3. Day By Day

The first voice Karin heard when she woke up was her sister's.

She opened her eyes, and saw Yuzu standing over her bed, dressed in a school uniform. She had a look on her face that was a mixture of excitement and uneasiness.

"Nee san?" She gently spoke. "It's almost 8:00. If you don't wake up, we're going to be late!" She said it very peppy, obviously excited for school.

 _Crap! I forgot about school!_ She briefly wondered why, until it all came back to her _._ And after remembering everything that happened yesterday, she felt like she was actually going to be sick.

"You're not still sick are you?

Karin blinked in surprise. "Why do you say that?"

"You told me remember? And when I went to bed I checked on you. Your face was red, and you felt warm."

Karin blinked in shock, but it quickly subsided as she smiled to herself. She truly was lucky to have a kind and loving sister like her. She didn't know what they all would have done without her.

"No, Yuzu I'm fine."

Yuzu beamed brightly. "Ok! I'll be waiting at the door!"

Well her day was starting off good enough. As long as she avoided her "brother" her day couldn't possibly be as worst as the last.

Or so she thought at the time.

.

.

.

Karin's day may have gotten off to a great start, but Uryu Ishida's day was the opposite end of the coin.

He realized after killing the last few hollows he sensed (They all seemed to be coming in pairs lately.) that he was now late to school. But he guessed that's what happens when you're now the de facto protector of this entire town from the endless horde of evil spirits trying to eat its unknowing populace. And since the other choice was an incompetent dumbass with bad hair, he gladly took the position.

Though, that did make him wonder why they didn't send a replacement. He thought that word of mouth would spread on how utterly useless Zennosuke was. Great. Now, he could add horrible lines of communication to the reason he hated Shinigami-

Uryu stopped in his tracks at the temporary relapse in old ways of thought. Truth was he no longer viewed Shinigami as the enemy. They may be arrogant, but in the end they were no different than Quincies. They had honor, most of them lived to fight great evil, and in their own way cared for the innocent.

And they both could die in a heartbeat.

Three captains had died in the battle for fake Karakura Town. Uryu vowed he would never forget their names. Those slain were head captain Yamamoto who was mercilessly defeated by Aizen's hands. Captain Komamura was slain by his closest friend causing him to be warped to madness before Death and Zaraki who managed to scar Aizen in a destructive fight before death.

Uryu knew little of what happened to Zaraki. But his Lieutenant was presumed dead as well. Unlike Zaraki her body was never found.

The only other casualty was…

Uryu grimaced at the memory of Ichigo Kurosaki. His rival had sacrificed himself for the sake of protecting the many lives of his hometown. He had done what he had always wanted to do. And yet…

Sado was now even more quiet then he was before the war. The lost, of his best friend had been very life shattering to him, but he at the very least was trying to prevent it from happening again by training even harder than ever to prevent being useless.

Tatsuki appeared to be filled with more anger then she was before, and was more protective of Inoue than ever, spending as much time as she possibly could with her.

And Inoue…

Inoue was much worse. She was just a shadow, a shell of her former perky, bubbly self. She had blamed herself for being unable to save Ichigo, and had since tried to avoid all her friends, probably in the hopes that they wouldn't die because of her. Sometimes hints of the things that made Inoue, Inoue would show through. She obviously tried to keep a positive front in front of her friends, and would occasionally seem to be back to her normal self.

But it wouldn't last long. Sometimes Ishida heard softly Tatsuki sobbing in the Girls bathroom out of sheer incredulity at what was happening to Orihime.

Ishida feared for her safety. He was doing all he could, but it felt like it wasn't enough. She was the one he and Ichigo never wanted to see get hurt, and yet here he was unable to protect her from herself.

Kurosaki was responsible for this. He was supposed to come back, and be the big hero. But instead he died leaving not only her, but them behind as well.

He would never forgive him for doing this not only to them, but to her most of all.

But right now, he had to live day by day, and see what happened next.

.

.

.

If Kon were to pick one thing he hated the most, it would probably be school.

The only way it could have more like his own personal Hell, was if he tied to a post, and there were a bunch of naked busty girls just out of reach.

It was so _boring_. The only thing that kept him from falling asleep, was staring at the girl's-

"Kurosaki san, can you please kindly explain why you are not paying attention?" Ochi sensei said sweetly.

 _Too sweetly._ Kon looked at her and felt he was staring into the face of death.

Kon blushed, his entire body going red in just an instant. He turned his head, looking around for possible places of escape, but found none.

With the choice of either admitting his perversion in front of the entire class (ruining Ichigo's reputation in the process) or making himself look like an idiot, he happily chose the latter.

"Ugh, I wasn't paying attention?" Kon blurted it out without thinking. Unfortunately, he might just have wanted to think that through considering the teacher might think he was being disrespectful.

The resulting look, and the assuring promise of pain it implied, really put the fear of god into him.

"I…I swear I didn't mean it like that! I'll listen from now on I promise! Hey, has anybody told you how young you look? You look like one of-

"That's enough Kurosaki." Ochi sensei had softened her tone enough that Kon could actually breathe. "Just don't do it again."

Kon sighed the sweet releasing sigh of relief. Today might just be his lucky day. Plus, Orihime and Tatsuki weren't here. He didn't have to avoid them out of guilt and shame.

Hopefully, he could make it through this without snapping and trying to jump out the window, but he was making no promises. Especially without having to stare at girls, but hey how hard could it be?

 _ **Ten minutes later…**_

Kon finally snapped, and started screaming like a madman, earning himself a lunch detention.

Guess he wasn't so lucky after all.

.

.

.

 _ **Flasback: Battling Aizen.**_

 _Her feet stood unsteadily on the ground, shaking from the massive monsoon of reiatsu breaking over her like wind. But, she forced herself to walk closer and closer, her determination not wavering for even a second as she prepared to fire Tsubaki at the fiend who threatened everything she loved._

 _Orihime briefly moved her hand to wipe the dust off her eyes, her mind more focused than ever before. Kurosaki kun was fighting Aizen now so they were both too busy to notice her and Urahara san sneaking behind them._

 _After healing Harribel she had begged Urahara san to take her with him. He seemed reluctant but he eventually agreed. So she had hopped on his back as he shunpoed towards Ichigo, waiting for their moment._

 _Finally, she would prove to herself and other's that she wasn't useless. She could prove that she could protect her friends, and that she didn't have to kill anyone to do it._

 _All she had to do was destroy the Hogyoku._

 _Simple._

 _But Orihime realized even if she rejected it, he was still dangerous without it, at least as long as he had that sword._

 _So she would take that away from him as well._

" _Tsubaki."_

 _Her hairpins glowed and out came a grouchy masked figure, looking pretty angry. Orihime always wondered what was under his mask. Maybe he was secretly a rapper and had golden teeth. Yeah and he also was a government agent, who went on secret missions with his android sidekick!_

" _Woman you've better brought me out for a reason!"_

 _Orihime shot back in attention, and looked at Tsubaki. Her face turned serious again, and turned towards Aizen. She couldn't afford to lose focus._

" _Tsubaki, I need your help."_

" _Yes! My time to shine! But you better not hold back again again."_

 _Orihime quickly explained her plan to the fiery spirit. Tsubaki seemed excited at the idea but asked why he couldn't just kill Aizen. "It would be much easier to split him in half!"_

 _Orihime would have none of it. The idea of killing anyone, even someone as terrible as Aizen made her feel sick. Even this was giving her goosebumps. But she would do it anyway, not just for her but everyone including Kurosaki Kun._

 _She wouldn't fail._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _ **Lunchtime**_

"Kurosaki kun…"

Orihime woke up mumbling the love of life's name. For the first time in forever she didn't have a nightmare and instead had a fantastic dream where she had confessed her love and Ichigo told her he loved her too and Kissed her. She had been so happy.

But then she woke up.

Remembering what had happened drove her to tears. Not for the first time she wondered why she had even bothered to try and help anybody in the first place. All it did was cause more people to get hurt. As a result, she tried to stay away from all of her friends. But they insisted on staying with her for as long they possibly could.

They truly were so kind, and she was starting to think of them as family. Uryu had stitched her several stuff animals to give Enraku some friends! Chad was silent as always but actually was a very good listener. Tatsuki and Chizuru were for once being nice to each other, and would sleepover as much as possible. But they were taking time out of their lives, and wasting it on her. She wouldn't blame them for just giving up on her. After all she deserved to be forgotten for being so useless. She can't protect her friends and save them from what they can't see, or fight.

She couldn't save anybody.

Sometimes she got depressed to the point of not even getting out of bed and going to school. Kon was there, and seeing him always reminded her of Ichigo. She didn't blame him of course, it wasn't his fault and he didn't have a choice. Besides, he truly was a nice guy. But she still couldn't bear to look at him without crying. She then thought about how awful she was. She was being selfish again.

What if Ichigo's sister's found out the truth? They didn't know about Ichigo's death and she didn't want to be the one to tell them the reality of what happened.

When it got really bad she started thinking about taking a bunch a pills and ending her suffering. (She heard that that was the least painless way.) It would be just like the ending of Romeo and Juliet! But fear always stayed her hand.

Besides she already was hurting her friends. They didn't need to hurt more

Orihime then sighed, pulled her blanket close to her and went back to sleep, hoping to slumber forever.

 **After School.**

Karin was walking home with her sister, happy as a clam. Her day couldn't get any better. Not only did she somehow get a perfect score on a test she didn't even study for, but for once nobody asked her any questions about spirits.

She had once let it slip that she could see ghosts and now that was all everyone ever asked her about. Geez, you would think they'd all get bored with all her sarcastic remarks, but she was wrong.

Now she was asked questions infinitely but the sad part was that they couldn't come up with different questions. They were all the same like, "Karin, have you seen any ghosts lately? What's it like to see ghosts? Do you know Don Kanoji? Have you met Don kanoji, or her personal favorite, Karin do you see dead people? I bet you see them all the time!"

The boy to ask that last one got his ass kicked. Neither the living or the dead should have to deal with horrible clichés.

As she was walking down the sidewalk enjoying the crisp breeze of the sunny day, she suddenly got the horrible feeling that she was being watched.

The suspicion creeped on her slowly, nagging at the back of mind. She tried to brush but it simply grew the more she ignored it. She knew what she had to do. She had to be more careful now that Ichigo was gone. The trouble was she didn't want to do it.

So briefly after Karin muttered a short prayer she turned around and saw what she feared the most.

The thing was smiling as the air filled with its killing intent.

"Nee san? What's the matter?"

"Yuzu. Run."

 _ **Oh, a cliffhanger! I wonder what you wonder I've cooked up? Anyway as for why I killed Kenpachi I really couldn't think of anything to do with his character that hasn't been already done by Kubo. I think He actually got good character development even if was a bit rushed. I think the Same with Shunsui.**_

 _ **Also I think I got a pretty good pace going! Let's hope it continues!**_

 _ **That's about it!**_


	4. Awakening

"Yuzu. Run."

Karin stood frozen like a deer in headlight's, her entire body paralyzed from fear. She had barely managed to get out a warning, her voice a scratchy whisper as she tried to warn her sister of the impending danger.

Yuzu had continued walking after Karin's abrupt stop, not noticing that anything was wrong until she had just barely heard Karin's plea. Not properly hearing her, she turned around and was surprised to see Karin frozen in place.

"Nee san?" Yuzu moved closer, and quickly realized that something was definitely wrong with Karin.

What's the matter? Why have you stopped?"

Yuzu had turned expecting anything but the sight her normally calm and collected sister shaking in terror, her form as solid and motionless as a statue as she stared down the seemingly empty street.

"C,mon Nee san!" Yuzu begged as she grabbed Karin's arm, trying to move her sister. She had never seen her sister so afraid. "Please tell me what's wrong!" She was on the brink of tears, not only out of concern for Karin but also out of fear of what possibly could have frightened her so much…

From Karin's point of view time had frozen still, all of it only measured in heartbeats.

One Heartbeat gave her a full view of the monster. Its face was shaped like a dog's skull, devoid of flesh and skin. It had the body of a hound, but instead of paws it had human like hands, and its tail had a hand at the end of it.

It was moving closer.

And two Heartbeat's was all it took to snap Karin out of it, as she took her sister's hand and ran.

.

.

.

Kon was glad to have finally escaped the jail that everybody else called school. He was walking away when he heard something that could make his day go much better than it already was.

" _Ichiiigooo!"_

Out of nowhere came a very excited Keigo Asano, grabbing Kon in a familiar midair hug. "Oh Ichigo, you've been so cool lately! You're finally hanging out with me!" Tears came out of Keigo's eyes from the intense joy of seemingly no longer being excluded. Kon, meanwhile was being shaken like he was in a rollercoaster, his vision blurring as he quickly started to see stars.

"Keigo! You're making me dizzy! I'm gonna throw up!" He couldn't breathe much either. Damn Keigo must be incredibly strong…

Finally, the torture ended and he was let go from Keigo's monstrous bear hug.

"Wow, Ichigo, you must really be losing it, if you can't take that!"

Kon smiled. "Just because we're friends doesn't mean I can't still kick your ass!"

"Wow, take it easy their pal! I was just kidding around! No need to re jam that stick up your ass!"

Kon grinned even wider. One of the two reasons he liked hanging out with Keigo, was that he could be more himself around him. Sure if he didn't act grumpy _sometimes_ it would give the game away, but most of the time he could be more like his usual cheery self. They were like kindred spirits.

The other reason was that he couldn't bear to stay with Ichigo's other friends. Chad was sullen and silent, so that's a no go, while he couldn't hang out with Orihime due to his own guilt. Besides Tatsuki would kick his ass if he so much as stole a glance at her, let alone be alone with her.

As Kon was wondering what to do, he suddenly sensed a hollow approaching their location. This was frightening, but he had long since learned how to deal with small fry like that. Suddenly he realized that if there was a hollow here then there could also be a hollow near Yuzu and Karin…

Shit! He had to take care of this quickly or else they could be in danger. But he couldn't leave Keigo alone either…

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, six holes in the great blue sky appeared, and out of them came several hungry looking hollows.

Fuck.

.

.

.

Karin glanced from beside the house they were both hiding from. She looked from the alley and to the left and only saw a bunch of shops suspiciously empty, while when she looked to the right she saw the same.

"Nee san? What's happening? What's chasing us?"

In spite of her naivety, Yuzu could tell that something was wrong. It had to be when the bravest person she knew was running away afraid. Maybe it was one of those bad spirits Don Kanoji talked about on his show. Oh what she wouldn't do to have him here!

"It's okay Yuzu, it's gone."

Yuzu sighed relieved, and hugged her sister tightly, crying into her chest.

"I was so-"

" _Mmmm, a couple of lesbians! Don't worry you're not getting away this time!"_

Karin looked up and saw the evil spirit hunched on the roof like a gargoyle, glowering down at them with a furious look on his face.

If Karin wasn't so afraid she probably would tell him it wasn't funny and respond with murderous violence, followed by throwing back intense curses she didn't understand. Instead she stood there frozen again.

" _What no words? Well take this!"_

Karin was grabbed by the demon's tail and thrown against the wall.

"Nee san!"

Karin was a bit concussed from the impact, her blood raining down toward the left side of her head blocking her ear in the process. She could barely even hear her sister, but still had her wits enough to realize something.

She was useless.

She was weak, and pathetic.

She had promised herself that she wouldn't be a burden, but here she was unable to do anything to protect her sister. She couldn't even protect Ichigo.

Ichigo…

She had once heard him that the elder sibling was born to protect the younger ones. In fact, all Ichigo cared about was protecting as much people as he possibly could.

Especially his loved ones.

Well now _She_ was the eldest and she couldn't do anything to protect anyone.

She had insidious laughter, and her sister crying.

 _No_.

She had lost one person she cared about. She wasn't going to lose another.

She quickly forced her legs to stand, and looked at the monster. It was menacing Yuzu as she backed into a corner, but quickly turned around when he sensed Karin's energy rising.

Karin felt more powerful than she ever had before. She was also more confident in her resolve.

She could do this. She could win.

 _Oh, I see. You have more Reiatsu than I thought!_ He saw that the color of her Reiatsu was a dark blue. _Well, I hate to ruin your fun, but your still no match_ _for_ -

Karin then punched the demon in the face as hard as she could, sending him flying through the wall.

"Don't fuck with my family again!" She spat out menacingly at the creature.

She turned around and saw her sister lying on the trash filled ground, cradled in a ball. Karin ran towards her, picked her up, and hugged her. "Yuzu it's okay! It's gone… wow."

She suddenly felt very lightheaded and weak. Where the hell was all that power she had a moment ago? It, couldn't have disappeared…

" _Ah, I can't believe this! Some snot nosed brat, actually got the best of me!'_

Karin looked behind her, and saw that the hound was still alive.

 _Oh, what are you out of steam? Well, trust me you bitch, you're going to pay for-_

WHOOSH.

Suddenly a small blue javelin like blast went in between the beast's eyes, splitting the beast in half.

Karin stared wide eyed in shock, but secretly sighed in relief. From the lack of sobbing, Yuzu was probably asleep. Her body finally started relax, as she finally fell in sweet unconsciousness.

.

.

.

Karin awoke twenty minutes later, lying not on the hard cement, but instead on soft grass, covered in what felt like a blanket.

She opened her eyes, and at first saw nothing but a melted blur of colors. Very soon, though her eyes adjusted to the new light, and she could see clearly, though the light also felt like someone drove a stake into her skull.

"Good, you're awake." An unfamiliar voice exclaimed.

Karin, tried to get up, but immediately felt rapid pain in her arm, back and head and fell down.

"Don't move so fast. You could open up your stitches."

Karin, turned her head to the left and saw a bespectacled raven haired teen kneeling down next to her, dressed in a very ugly white outfit. Hanging from one of his hand was a pentacle necklace.

Suddenly she remembered Yuzu, and saw that she wasn't near her.

"If you are looking for your sister, don't worry she's safe."

Karin was shocked at the teen above her. "How'd you-

"I could tell by the look on your face. Your body language is almost exactly like his."

Karin was now very curious about this odd teen. "Did you know my brother?"

Now it was Uryu's turn to raise an eyebrow and glance in shock. "Well yes we were… I mean are friends."

"So you're a Shinigami too?"

Uryu's eyes widened ever wider. Why and how Kurosaki's sister knew about the spirit world, was beyond him. However, there was the question on how much she _did_ know about it.

It couldn't possibly be a lot right?

"Well?"

In spite of the rudeness Uryu replied politely. "No I'm not I'm a-

"Good. I can't think of my brother running around in such a fashion disaster."

A vein popped in Uryu's head and Sometimes he wished he wasn't so chivalrous. It didn't happen much, but boy was this one of those times.

"You shouldn't to your elders like that!" Uryu snapped back, obviously unaware of how insecure he was being about his sense of style.

Especially to an eleven year old.

"By the way what's your name?"

Uryu quickly calmed down, and almost immediately responded with his name.

"Oh one last thing." Uryu asked.

"What?'"

Uryu reached into one of his pockets and pulled out an object that wasn't familiar to Karin.

"What is that-

Karin was immediately knocked unconscious.

.

.

.

Uryu stood up from his position, and proceeded to wipe the dust off of his pants. To him there were only two devices that were particularly useful to him. One was the soul pager, while useless in most situations, allowed him to sense every bit of spiritual Reiatsu, even when they were hiding their it. Besides, it already had the Quincy cross on it. He couldn't get rid of it.

The other one was the memory chikan, which helped get rid of memories. That was useful due to the fact he was better off not having the whole town aware of ghost's.

It was good that he had went to the park. The open area gave him a full view of everything so that was no chance of being snuck up on.

Besides, what kind of man, let a few injured girls lie on the hard ground?

"Hmm, how childish."

Suddenly Uryu's father appeared from behind him, surprising Uryu.

"I didn't ask for _your_ approval, Ryuken."

Ryuken ignored the venomous jibe. "I'm sorry that I'm not a little girl."

 _Damn you! "_ Why are you here, exactly? I thought you didn't use or respect your Quincy heritage."

"You're a lot more stupid then I thought. I said I wouldn't help the dead, not the living."

"Then why didn't you help me."

To Uryu's surprise Ryuken actually smiled. "Because I knew that you could have handled it."

Uryu gaped in shock at Ryuken. He actually gave him a _compliment._ Who was this man? But he was way too cool to admit, so he immediately went back to his detached manner.

"Well, are you just gonna just stand there, and leave the kids on the ground?"

Well he guessed it was back to the familiar distance between them.

 **Wow, this was even faster than the other one! I'm a bit impressed with this one actually! Next chapter will take place mostly in the Soul Society, with bits of Karin within them, Also, thanks to Starscape91 for the first review of Karin's Turn! It really inspired me to finish it!**

 **Also have you ever wanted to try deep fried Tarantulas? I heard they were actually good!**


	5. Brave New World Part 1 : Soul Society

Isshin Kurosaki was glad that his daughters were currently unconscious. He didn't want to have answer any questions that would have hurt them more than they already were.

Ryuken and his son were happy to drop off the injured girls to a much happy and relieved Isshin. Isshin was once again thankful for his old friend and his son and offered a drink which Ryuken predictably declined.

Isshin then made sure his children were as comfortable as possible, tucking them in to their beds, and kissing them.

He didn't intend to get any sleep that night. Paranoia grew as you became a parent after all, especially from predators that very well could either be human or hollow. The reason that he didn't go to their aide after they were late was because Ryuken had called telling him what happened and that Uryu had already handled it… Damn. He didn't even sense them _or_ the hollow. He must be getting rusty from not using his powers for such a long time.

 _He had almost lost the rest of family._

That thought dawned on him not for the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, if he was being realistic.

He had failed them. Just like he failed Masaki and Ichigo. Now it was almost his sweet little girls…

It was one thing when he was powerless, and couldn't do anything to help. But now he was once again a Shinigami, a former Captain of the Gotei 13 for god's sake, and here he was unable to somehow unable to protect his own children from monsters they couldn't see...

What kind of pathetic excuse of a father was he?

The tears soon came, unwanted, but Isshin was much too depressed to care as he sobbed quietly to himself.

Just as he was in the midst of despair, a much needed distraction came running into the clinic turned home, tripping over himself and somehow flipping himself on his head.

"What do you want." Isshin asked Kon. Isshin knew that the soul in his son's body wasn't his son, but instead a mod soul he adopted. Of course his daughter's didn't know it and he'd be damned if they were to find out. So while it pained him, he treated him just like he had treated Ichigo in order to put up a façade that everything was alright.

"What do you mean what I want? What the hell happened? Is Karin and Yuzu okay?"

"Why would you care? They're not your sister's anyway." As soon as it came out of his mouth, Isshin instantly regretted saying it. What was he, some kind of asshole who blamed others for his problems? Would he also put others through pain as well? Kon was for all instances a kid, no matter how old he was. Besides, he could tell that Kon almost certainly cared about Ichigo's sister's. Even he, in his grief filled mind could see _that._

Seeing the look on Kon's face made him feel even worse. "Look I'm sorry." Isshin would have said more, but Kon said something he didn't even expect him to say.

"It's okay I know." Kon spoke softly, tears running out of eyes.

Isshin honestly didn't know what to say. He was just dumbstruck by Kon opening up to him. Usually they would mutually try to avoid each other, but now…

"You know I never did repay him for saving me. All I did was constantly whine and complain. When he died… I didn't know what to do. I thought about running away with his body, but then I realized how much it would hurt you and his sister's. I couldn't bear to see them cry. "

Kon continued. "So I thought that I would be there for them instead. I knew I couldn't bring back Ichigo, but I still… I had to do something!"

Isshin, thought that at the very least they shared the same misery.

It's fine… Just go to bed okay."

Kon nodded, and walked solemnly upstairs.

Isshin sighed. He needed the alone time to plan out necessary precautions. Plus, he had to call a few "old friends" to help him with said precautions.

God, this was all going to be a pain.

.

.

.

 **The next day, in the Soul Society**

Shunsui was sleeping off a hangover (whether he was pretending or not at this point, even he didn't know) in the 1st division barracks. He had his own humble abode not that different from the regular rooms, but for the exception of a pink blanket with flowers. He was deciding whether or not to get up, when his lieutenants woke him up.

"Head captain." A girl's voice said full of irritation. Please tell, as to why you're still asleep?"

Shunsui pretended to mumble incoherently, exaggeratedly pulling his blanket further to his chest.

"Head captain, we know you're awake, so stop pretending."

"Just ignore him I know how to get his attention." A more mature voiced coughed into her fist. "Oh, no it's so hot! You know Nanao chan it would suck if we got sweat on our uniforms! Might as take them off since the head captain fast asleep…"

Shusui instantly shot up in attention. "What's happening? He looked and saw two raven haired women with glasses frowning over him, looking very pissed. "Oh it's little Nanao and Lisa chan. I was just having a wonderful dream. I think you were both in it…"

Lisa and Nanao ignored that. "Head captain, you have a meeting with the Central 46 in a few minutes. You know how important it is."

 _Why do you think I was drinking last night Lisa?_ Shunsui had been worried about all the things that could go wrong. But now that he was mostly sober, he probably needed his wits about him if he was going to succeed.

"Do you want us to reschedule?" Nanao asked politely knowing the answer was almost certainly no.

"And refuse the wishes of two beautiful young women? No thanks, just let me change. Also, I may need some help"

Nanao and Lisa rolled their eyes and immediately left.

"There's no need to be mean."

.

.

.

"Absurd!"

"Preposterous!"

"Ridiculous!"

The Central 46 had reacted almost exactly like the Head Captain had expected. As soon as he told them about his plans for reform, all of them had gone ballistic.

It was very simple. The duties of the Central 46 would be split into two different branches. One for legislative purposes such as lawmaking, and one for judiciary purposes such as punishment and sentencing. Plus, anyone who was actually competent could get a seat in the new government. There was obvious opposition however.

But Shunsui let the words of the 46 wash over him like waves. He didn't yell, he didn't beg, he didn't even raise his voice. He just let them speak as he waited for his turn. He needed to be patient if he was going to accomplish what he set out to do

"How dare you suggest the dissolution of law and order!" One judge yelled behind a screen depicting five, blocking his face like the rest of these so called justices.

"This is nonsense! We have been the authority of the soul society since its creation! Are mandate was handled down by the Soul King himself!" One of the wise men shouted, his deep voice seemingly wheezing with the very effort of speaking.

"It's bad enough we let you allow those _abominations_ to return to their posts, but now you intend to destroy the very foundation of the government!" Shunsui decided to ignore the insult to his lieutenant, though it still thoroughly pissed him off.

"This is how you repay us for making you Captain Commander?"

Shusui had enough. They needed to understand how things worked now. With Kurotsuchi running lose they couldn't risk what had happened with Aizen…

"With all do respect, I'm not doing this out of spite, nor am I destroying the government as you so claim. I'm only improving it."

"Besides I have the support of the entire Gotei 13, three of the four noble families and all but a third of the lower houses. These were the only people who gave you power. So my question is, what are _you_ going to do about it?"

The Central 46 briefly whispered to themselves and then fell silent.

"Good, I think we reached an understanding."

.

.

.

Shunsui met his best friend outside the Central 46 compound. Ukitake smiled, and embraced his closest friend, finally free to talk however they like.

"So how did the hearing go."

"Hmm, it was like smoking out a bunch of bees. Very _unattractive_ bee's."

Ukitake laughed heartily, ignoring the pain caused by his illness (or rather the god inside him). "I see you still haven't grown up."

"What can I say, I'm too young for this job." Shunsui sighed at Ukitake. "It should have been you or Unohana to get this damn job, not me."

"Don't tell you're thinking of quitting." Ukitake eyes flickered with immediate disapproval.

"I can't. Old man Yama would come back from the dead, just to yell at me some more. Besides it's not like I have a choice anyway."

Ukitake smiled at his companion. _So he really has_ _matured…_

"So, what did I miss? What happened when I was out."

Well, the memorial going along greatly, I think it should be finished in a few month's. The Visored have tried to "modernize" their squad, and Madarame has a fight scheduled today.

"That's not what I meant. How's Rukia?"

Ukitake's expression darkened. Thinking about his newly made Lieutenant, made him feel pangs of guilt he couldn't control. She was still depressed about Ichigo Kurosaki, but she still tried to fight through it, training even harder than ever. The part that worried him was that she was once again distant, refusing to allow anybody to get close…

Ukitake couldn't even imagine what she was going through. If he had lost his friend, he probably would be going through the same thing…

"If you don't want to talk about, that's fine but…"

"Ukitake, has there been any word on the whereabouts of Kurotsuchi?"

"No, Shunsui."

That fact worried that he hadn't been found yet worried the both of them greatly. They had discovered that Kurotsuchi had been using his squad as experiments, and decided to put him back into custody.

He must have gotten wind of their intent, as he was more than prepared for their arrival. Just as they were about to enter the Department of Research and Development, the damn thing exploded, killing 163 of the scientists. The explosion was composed of thickened Reishi, solidifying in the air making it hard to uncover the ruins without destroying the evidence in the process, and also petrifying any who came near.

Shunsui had hoped that he had died with the innocent researchers, but it seemed that the Soul King was against him that day. When the ruins were being investigated they discovered that all the records and lab materials had been removed. Shunsui thought that they had burned, but according to Hiyori and Akon there would have been traces of it, small disintegrated fragments hidden all over the place. Instead there was nothing. No traces of him or his lieutenant had been found either. It was like he had vanished into the air.

He had no idea where he was, or what he was planning. He had put up wanted posters all over the Rukon District with a large reward inscribed, for all the good it did. Kurotsuchi was too smart to fall for it, and finding him would be no easy task. However, the Soul Society would not be at peace until he was found…

"Well, enough with the dilly dallying. I sadly need to get back to my duties." Shunsui made a pouty face, and left.

.

.

.

For about two weeks, Karin remembered nothing of the attack on her sister and herself. Apparently, according to "her" memories she and her sister had gotten in a car crash. Her teachers and friends had been relieved that she was safe, and had even made her a card. It took a while for the bandages to come, off due to her wildly unkempt hair, and she had a bit of a scar on her head, but that was badass so it wasn't really important.

But as she sat on the couch lazily watching soccer, she realized something didn't seem right about what she recalled. She had a bad feeling that somehow she wasn't remembering everything.

It all started with some flashes. A hound there, a nerd here, Yuzu crying- Those all felt very familiar and yet, she still remembered the car… Was there even a car, she didn't know.

But this seemed to make dad more responsible.

Well, only a _little bit_ more responsible.

For one they had been given good luck charms that their mother had before them. She didn't know how that would help against hollows but okay…

And that was about it.

Wait!

Wasn't there a badge that Ichigo used to wear? And better yet where was it? Perhaps he had saved other stuff from when he was a Shinigami…

When "he" was out, Karin tried looking in "his" room, but found it dirty and filled with stuff that would scar her for life. However somehow none of it was there. Where the hell did he put it!

 _If I was an idiot where would I_ _hide…_

 _The attic!_

Karin immediately went up, and decided to look for a badge, a sword- Anything that would help her.

As she shifted through the zillions of Boxes full of clothes, old toys, pictures…

She stopped her search to look at an old photo album. She saw plenty of images from when she just a little kid. She smiled just a little bit. Some of her happiest memories were in this book. Some with mother, some with her sister, some with brother, even a few with her goofy dad.

It made her a little sad as well, knowing that she would never see mom or Ichi nii again…

As she flipped through the album, she saw a picture that stopped her heart.

It was a picture of her mother holding her and Yuzu, with her and Yuzu smiling at the whoever was taking the picture. And from her mom's neck hung a pentacle necklace just like…

Just like the boy who saved her.

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 **Yeah I know the ending a bit cliché but I couldn't really think of any realistic way for her to discover that her mother was a Quincy. I think we both know where this is going, and some of you might just be wondering why. Well, it's in her nature. Quincies are more about anger against hollows so it would make more sense for her to be a Quincy instead of a Shinigami.**

 **Next chapter takes place in Hueco Mundo. Let's see how that's working out. Also Kurotsuchi seemed like the logical main villain after Aizen, and Yhwach is WAY too far ahead then even I planned out. And I have most of FNAM planned out!**

 **Well, that's It!**


	6. Brave New World Part 2 : Hueco Mundo

Karin stared at that part of the photo, utterly dumbstruck, as the memories came flooding back in like a dam in her mind had just been destroyed.

The feeling of fear as the hound attacked her and Yuzu…

The feeling of Powerlessness as the hound leered at Yuzu…

The sweet feeling of power as she punched the hound through the wall…

The sudden weakness that came after that…

And her encounter with that strange teen…

What the hell was her mother doing with that necklace? It couldn't be that she was just like… What was his name? Suddenly, it came to her.

"Uryu Ishida." She mumbled the name to herself quietly, afraid that Yuzu, dad, or even worse "Him" would know that she was up there.

No. It wasn't possible. Her mother wasn't some Shinigami wannabe. She couldn't even see ghosts!

Right?

Karin then realized that there was only one way to be sure. She reluctantly started going through her mother's things, hoping to be proved wrong. She went through three boxes filled with maternity clothes, and other things finding nothing until the fourth box where she saw exactly what she was looking for.

She held the necklace in her hand, bringing it closer examine it. It was a small star about the size of a half dollar, with a circle in the center, and five thin, blunt points coming out, and was made out of some kind of silvery metal. In the middle of the circle was another more ornate, and pointy star.

There was no denying it anymore. Whoever Uryu Ishida was, her mother was definitely a part of it.

Did that mean that she had the same poor taste in clothing?

 _Oh, god please no…_

Suddenly, she wondered if dad knew about it, but quickly brushed it off. Given how stupid her dad was, she doubted that she even told him about what she was. She probably just gave it up after she got married and had kids.

Great. Where was four eyes when you needed him? She now had tons of questions.

And an opportunity she had no plans of letting slip away.

.

.

.

 **Meanwhile In Hueco Mundo**

Tier Harribal sat in Aizen's former throne, attended by the Tres Bestias as she tried to hold a royal court session.

It was mostly to keep the other Arrancar and the like busy. To listen to their problems like she heard a real monarch would, instead of keeping them around for her own sick amusement like the previous so called "king" did. It was mostly a thing for them to do to keep them out of trouble though. Like rebuilding Las Noches, or some other relict of a long forgotten warlord like Barragon. Or forming a new guard full of randomly picked Numeros, based on their performance in a melee as suggested by Nelliel. (Tier wasn't so keen on that, but her Fraccion were too excited for it so she couldn't refuse.) Some of them may complain, but what are they going to do about it? With Starrk and Nel at her side none of them of could really stand a chance in a fight.

Besides, they couldn't go back to the anarchy driven non state Hueco Mundo had been before Aizen arrived. Too much had changed…

Tier looked around the throne room. The cracked, crumbling walls showed that there were still some places where the stone was scarred from the fourth Espada's final fight, The few torches cast a dim light on the hundreds of Arrancar that stood crowded in the hall, looking impatient and rowdy. A bunch of angry, argumentative, vain, thugs ready to kill one another at a moment' whim. These were apparently her people. And they all reflected the land of Hueco Mundo itself, all as merciless and unforgiving as the wilds of the desert.

Not for the first time, Tier thought about why she'd been given the title of Queen. Starrk refused the metaphorical crown due to his own constant melancholy. And the idea of Nel being a queen made her actually laugh a bit inside.

 _She couldn't control her powers…_

The idea of a "kid" running things was absolutely ridiculous. The other hollows would just eat her up without having to belch. Besides even when she did return to her original form, she still refused.

Well, someone had to take responsibility, and if they weren't going to do it, then she had no choice, but to be queen.

"You bitch! How could you!"

Suddenly, a one eyed brunette with pigtails came running into the hall, glaring at the queen in spite. Following her was another one eye girl with short blonde hair, having long since been forced to obediently following her friend in spite of the suicidal charge.

The Arrancar who were steadily talking to themselves out of boredom, suddenly stopped all chit chat and focused their attention on the dumbass who dared to talk their so called monarch that way. To most of them, the world was on a razors edge as they watched what would happen next.

Loly and Menoly weren't even a third of the way to her, when the Tres Bestias were upon them, tackling them to the ground, enraged at the insult at their adoptive mother. Loly was fighting and squirming with all her might, but Menoly quietly accepted her fate, knowing she wasn't nearly powerful enough to fight back.

"How dare you insult the queen of Hueco Mundo! You should be bowing on your feet, you bitch!" Apacci growled at the subdued girl, while the others silently agreed.

"I say we cut off her tongue, for spewing such filth." Fransceska was a bit calmer, but still was definitely ready to teach this girl some manners.

Cyan, though just as angry, calmed down and looked at Tier, so they would know just what to do with her.

"Enough. Bring her to me." The iron, stoic tones of Tier resonated around the throne room, her Reiatsu silently spreading through the room to prevent anyone from making any more unnecessary interruptions. "Bring her here. _Gently_."

The Tres Bestias grabbed both of the girls, holding them in a full nelson as they carefully brought her to Tier.

"Child." Tier blankly spoke to Loly in her usual disinterested tones. "Why have you decided to interrupt my court? What is the problem?"

"Because that's not your throne!" Loly was screaming, trying to bite, and scratch her way out of Apacci's grasp. "It's Lord Aizen's!"

"Let go of Loly!" Now Menoly was trying to attack, worried at how easy it would be for them to kill Loly due to how to obvious difference in power.

Tier sighed at this remark. While many of the Arrancar had quietly accepted the sad truth of Aizen's true intentions, a few refused to accept it and believed that She and Starrk betrayed him, and left him to die. That was exactly why she had refused all Arrancar's request to go to the world of the living. They couldn't be trusted…

"What were these girl's place in the army?"

"They were Aizen's personal aides." Cyan responded.

 _So, that's why they're like that._ Tier felt sorry for them. Aizen most had been their whole world, but now that world was gone... But they had to hear the truth, and that meant she had to get to the point. Hopefully all who had lingering doubts would have the blinders ripped of their eyes.

"Aizen never cared about either of you. He thought of us as nothing but bugs to be smashed beneath his feet. When we were fighting, he cut those who survived down, in spite of us being close to victory."

"Liar! You left him to die, by the enemy! And you let that dumb bitch get away! Aizen trusted her, and she helped murder him!" Loly then broke into tears, crying loudly onto the floor.

"Are you referring to Orihime Inoue?" Loly nodded angrily as a response.

Tier and the Tres Bestias exchanged a quick glance at each other. They regretted allowing her to suffer at the hands of Aizen and the other Espada. But in spite of having every reason to hate them, she had still healed her and her fraccion. It wasn't even out of personal gain, but out of sheer kindness. She truly was They owed a great debt to that girl, not only to themselves but to the erasion of all of the potential blood that could have been spilled if Hueco Mundo, if there was no leader.

She had no intentions of letting any harm come to Orihime. But she honestly didn't want to kill the two Arrancar either. They were just children compared to her...

"Cyan. Franceska. Emilou. Would you kindly imprison these two ladies until they have calmed down."

The Tres Bestias nodded, and carried the two ladies away.

.

.

.

It was almost completely dark in the cell. The only light came from a few torches, desperately in need of oil.

"Let me out!" Loly roared at the guards, as they silently mocked her through the bars. "You Bastards!"

Loly and Menoly had been restrained with rope, and were now without their swords. No matter how hard they struggled they just couldn't get out.

"Loly please calm down!" Menoly was not worried for Loly. She was _frightened_ for Loly. When she had learned about Aizen's death, Loly had ripped out her hair in utter anguish, in sheer disbelief about what happened.

Ever since that day Loly had been obsessed with revenge, spending all of her time training to get even stronger, eating as many hollows as she possibly can to fight the Shinigami and way waste to the world of the living, even eating a dozen Gillians and yet she _still_ wasn't strong enough to fight an another Gillian, let alone a Vasto Lorde.

And Orihime Inoue…

Menoly agreed that this was her fault, and she deserved what was coming to her when they got out. If Aizen hadn't died she wouldn't have as hurt as she was. But Menoly had long since accepted the reality.

The problem was, she was too afraid of Loly to say it out loud.

"Loly, please listen-

"Shut up, Menoly." Loly growled, her voice full of malice and killing intent. "This is your fault."

"L-Loly? What's wrong?"

Loly turned around and started walking towards her. Menoly backed away in fear. "Wha-What are you talking about? You're being silly!" She knew she was going to get hurt, but maybe if she got her to calm down-

Loly kicked at Menoly's legs. Menoly never was that graceful so she fell almost instantly on floor. When she looked up, Menoly kicked her in the face.

"You should have helped me. Instead you just froze and let that cunt spew her lies." At the end of each loud sentence she kicked her, a few times in the body, a few on the face, even a few on the legs. "I thought we were friends."

"Please stop!" Menoly was crying. "We are friends!"

"Then admit it. This is your fault!"

"Y-Yes it's my fault!" Menoly sadly admitted what she thought was the truth. It was _her_ fault... Her, and Orihime Inoue.

Loly smiled. "It's okay. Just as long as you admit it."

Just then, the sound of the guards was immediately silenced. Loly and Menoly looked and saw that were all suddenly writhing on the ground, their bodies slowly melting, and turning into some sort of green fluid.

 _What the hell is going on!_ Loly was dumbstruck at what was happening to guards. But suddenly realized that she and Menoly could finally escape… If it wasn't for the bonding ropes attached to her.

"I see that you're having trouble getting out." The monotone voice of a girl called out, as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"What the f-"

"We don't have much time to waste." A raven haired girl with odd, dark, revealing clothing suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "My master has asked me to give you two this. Please don't break it"

The mysterious girl then slipped two large syringes filled with a strange yellow fluid, carefully through the bars .

"What are these?"

"Those will make you and your friend more than powerful to escape Las Noches."

"Why the hell would I want to do that?" She wanted to kill Harribel and all of her stooges first…

"Because you need to train to control it." The girl's eyes flickered in disapproval. "Didn't you also want justice for Lord Aizen? It was Inoue Orihime who helped his downfall."

Loly's eyes went wide what she just heard. She almost didn't believe what she heard.

Could she really avenge Aizen?

The idea made her absolutely giddy. She would now be able to teach that bitch her place! But first she had to get these damn ropes off.

Allow me." The girl pulled out a odd, gilded pager like device with Crustacean like plating and pushed a button, disintegrating the ropes.

Without thinking of the possibly unforeseen consequences, she picked up the syringe and injected the serum into her arm, laughing like she was a demon, as the power that went through her rocketed through Hueco Mundo, shaking it to it's very core.

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 **Yeah this was going to be much longer, but I decided to cut it short due to length. The rest of it shall be in the next chapter so don't worry!**

 **Also Thanks to Nashmeira for the kind review! I can't believe I have so many new fans!**

 **And finally, thank you Abei34 for finding all those mistakes and being the best Beta ever!**

 **EDIT: More mistakes,** **means more problem solving and effort from me. Don't none of you forget that.**

 **(:**


	7. Demons

Coyote Starrk was starting to sense a very depressing pattern in his life. Every time he tried to get some much needed rest (or so he always thinks) Lilynette would try to wake him up, annoying him greatly.

Despite how much it pained him to do so, this time Starrk had prepared for her. He had set tripwires all blocking the entrances of his room, all with net traps that would prevent her from interrupting his apathetic laziness.

There was a place that Starrk didn't trap, but how the hell could she possibly-

 _CRASH_

Suddenly Lilynette busted a hole through the ceiling, and jumped through, landing on her feet and unfortunately on Starrk's chest. His breath was instantly knocked out of him, as he opened his eyes to see Lilynette sitting on him.

"Good morning Starrk! Now get your ass up, its three o'clock in the afternoon!"

"How the hell do you know?" Starrk wined and groaned as he tried to get her off, but due to his own slothful nature couldn't raise the effort. He looked up and saw the hole in the ceiling. "Damn, Lilynette you know what I told you about damaging things!"

Lilynette was so shocked at Starrk's change in tone that she jumped up immediately, teary eyed.

Starrk sighed. "It's okay just don't do it again. But you know as well as I, that we all only have a small amount of supplies."

"But why don't you just get supplies?"

"We can't go to either the world of the living or the Soul Society due to the truce. Even if we were strong enough to break it, all it would take was one idiot and both sides would be at war again. There would be too many unnecessary death's. And before you ask that's why not one of us is allowed out here."

Starrk was actually trying to make it sound better than it really was. But the truth wasn't as rosy.

Without medicine, water and other supplies, The Arrancar were a doomed race. Any cut they got while they started quarreling would inevitably get infected, resulting in amputations in the best of times and death in the absolute worse.

Illness would occasionally break out among them killing dozens at a time. Some areas had to be sealed off with the Arrancar still inside.

Rationing the few supplies that they had seemed to do more harm than good. A few riots were almost guaranteed.

Starrk would almost certainly say his mood was a lot more depressed than ever. It seemed like a great time to be cynical.

"Hey Starrk, what's a Lolicon?" Lilynette asked out of nowhere.

And then there were those awkward moments that came out of nowhere like that.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because a few guys were calling me that this morning!"

Before a _very_ Uncomfortable Starrk could answer, his already shoddy room started to shake and rumble, the chipped paint cracking even more from the spiritual pressure emanating from outside.

When Starrk started to focus in on it, he could tell something had gone awry.

"Starrk, what's wrong! What the hell is going on!"

"It seems to be one of Aizen's old servants. But she's somehow even stronger than before." It was puzzling but Starrk was not that worried. It didn't seem to be that much of a difference. Surely, he didn't need to intervene-

A sudden disappearance of Reiastu resonated within him. He at first thought it rioter, but to his shock he realized that that wasn't the case…

Seeing the look on his face, Lilynette asked him what was wrong. She couldn't sense stuff as good as he could and though she hated to admit it, was basically useless if she got into a fight by herself.

Starrk turned to her with a grim look on face. That look was all it took for Lilynette to start worrying.

 _He never looks like that. Something really bad must be happening._

"The Tres Bestias came to fight."

"But that's good right!"

"No. All of them have fallen. One of them is…"

"Is…" Lilynette was at the edge of anticipation.

"Dead." He let the word hang in the air to give proper time to sink in, not just for her, but for him as well.

"Stay here." He tried to rush out of his room but could sense another hollow was behind the door.

As he opened the door-

SLASH. CRASH

The door shattered into millions of tiny splinters, as Starrk's chest was sliced breastbone to waist. At the last millisecond he jumped a step back, avoiding death. He leaped backwards hitting his back hard against the wall. He squatted down as his blood dripped onto the floor like rain.

"What the hell!" Stark groaned as he looked at the now stinging and deep cut across his torso. _If I had not dodged, I'd be a dead man…_

Someone's deep laughter turned his attention back to the now obliterated doorway. Why did Starrk think that that was a hollow? It's Reiatsu was more like… A Shinigami? No that wasn't right either. Either way the noxious Reiatsu it was giving off was suffocating the both of them. It appeared to have frozen poor Lilynette like a popsicle.

As the dust cleared, it illuminated the black garbed thing and its massive height in its full glory. He- it- Whatever it was, used his free arm to shatter the ceiling above into faded yellow chunks, which Stark quickly obliterated with his Spiritual Pressure.

As it finally lumbered into the room, Starrk gawked at the man's odd weapon. It a sort of sword, though it reminded him more of a cleaver. The blade was a shiny jet black monstrosity about as tall as Lilynette, and half a foot thick with notches and pits all other the top edge. The sword had no guard and a grey Z-shaped hilt with some strange golden baby's head adorning the pommel.

Talk about overkill.

As Starrk looked up, he saw that all that could be seen under a hood was pale skin, Stitches, Pure white eyes, and an unsettling smile that did something that Starrk hadn't thought possible to reachieve.

It made him feel fear. Not just for him but also for Lilynette, and his other comrades.

"Cero."

Starrk quickly fired a cero from his chest, but the creature took it at point blank without even blinking in surprise. It was like the cero had been nothing but a damn rubber ball.

What the hell is that thing! It wasn't like anything he had faced or seen before. Was… Was it more powerful then him? Its spiritual pressure was making him uneasy…

As Starrk pulled out his sword, he saw the thing was staring at a now unconscious Lilynette.

Starrk got in front of him, before it started to walk towards her.

"In spite of how much of a pain in the ass she is, I'm not letting you near her."

The thing grinned even more as he slashed his sword at the former Primera Espada, their swords and Reiatsu meeting in an arch as they prepared to fight to the death.

.

.

.

Starrk realized while fighting that the thing's sword was about as strong as his. Every time he met the sword with his blade, all it did was vibrate it back towards his arm.

The thing aimed at Starrk's limbs and head, with Starrk just barely evading each blow. He realized that he was just a tiny bit faster then him, giving him a slight advantage. However, the thing had more stamina, so it would only be a matter of time before his so called advantage ran out.

The thing, however dim it may be, definitely had a warrior's instincts. It fought wildly, meeting Starrk's strike with blade and fist...

...The latter breaking off part of the blade.

Starrk eyes widened in shock. He immediately dodged a strike that could have decapitated him, so he picked up Lilynette, and Sonidoed out of there.

He found himself passing several of the old Privarion Espada's room's, all still ruined from those kids came to rescue Inoue...

When he thought he got a safe distance away, he tossed his broken blade to the side and after hiding her, he picked up Lilynette's Scimitar. He heated up some Reishi on his finger to cauterize the gaping wound on his chest. Problem was he had already lost a lot of blood. If he continued to run he would just lose consciousness.

 _That was hierro... That was definitely Hierro... It was just like Gilga's... No it's stronger._

He sense the creature coming from the sounds of smashing walls, and mad laughter. One way or another he was not getting out of this fight. The only good news was that it was using Flash Step or Sonido. It just seemed to be running towards them, seemingly picking their Reiatsu like it was a dog getting hold of a deer's scent.

A epiphany hit Starrk. He realized that only the skin was hardened and if he had enough Reiastu he could probably cut him. The part that stopped him was that he didn't but If he aimed at the eyes...

Starrk saw that the thing was almost there. He could easily sense the direction it was coming from.

But he had enough energy to hide his Reiatsu.

And he was in Cirruci's old room which filled with a countless amount of pillars...

 **CRASH**

The creature smash threw the wall, laughing like a madman. It used it sword to cut a few of the pillars in half. Suddenly Starrk attacked the creature head on, and was effortlessly cut in half, his blood and viscera spilling unto the floor.

Too bad the creature didn't know that that was a clone.

Before it could blink, its eyes were both slashed vertically, blinding the beast. Enraged the thing threw it sword at nothing, completely missing Starrk.

Starrk took that moment to celebrate.

But it only takes a moment.

The thing grabbed Starrk by and kicked him far out of room. Starrk couldn't feel anything below his left shoulder and lower waist. He was quickly losing consciousness.

"Lilynette!"

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As soon as she found the cross, Karin wanted to go to Urahara's shop. He seemed to be the only one she knew who could give her any answers. Problem was it was too late to go without getting grounded.

So with about another day of school to go, she wafted through the endless drought of anticipation until the weekend. It was a rather windy but bright Saturday morning, so she brought a hoodie, and her trusty soccer ball just in case any of those monster's came. She told Yuzu and Dad that she was going to play with her friends, which Yuzu replied with a motherly "Don't stay out too late!" While dad replied with "Don't bring home any boyfriends!" Earning a punch to the face in response

After she found the necklace, she noticed that for the past few days, Spirits seemed to appear a whole lot more. Either that or she just wasn't as good at seeing them like before. But now they seemed to pop out of nowhere. She mostly ignored them like she used to, hoping that they would go away. A lot of them were really irritating often trying to hug her, talk to her, anything to get her attention. She saw a few of the making out and petting. That was when she learned (much to her pleasure) that she could punch them.

Of course there were a few exceptions to her rule. She would often talk to few little kids she saw crying on the sidewalk trying to cheer them up, and get them to move on.

After a few minutes of walking, she finally made it to his shop. As she tried to walk through the door, she stopped.

That was when she realized how reluctant she was to go in. Being here brought up very unpleasant memories, that still traumatized her to this day.

Sometimes she wished that she had stayed ignorant of what had happened. That she could have just pretended that her problems didn't exist like she had before.

She couldn't do that anymore. Karin wasn't going to run away this time. She had enough of being useless. It was her turn to protect her family, and she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

So with a sigh, she opened the door and went inside, not expecting the strange sight that awaited her.

"Stop it Jinta!"

"Shut up, Ururu!"

A familiar rosy cheeked girl was being shaken by another all too familiar redhead. The shop was an absolute mess. Crushed Chocolate bars, broken halves of Pocky, chewed up gum, even open bags of Kompeito were strewed all other the floor.

Karin was thankful that she wasn't noticed as she probably would have looked like a goldfish as she tried to process the amount of dysfunction hammered into the room. It made her house look regular by comparison.

This was was immediately replaced by her standard annoyance, as somehow they still didn't notice her.

"Jinta we need to clean up."

Karin coughed.

"Quiet! This wouldn't have happened if you didn't run away."

Karin coughed again.

"Please Jinta! You know what Mr Tessei will do to you-

"That why you're telling him you did it." Jinta then put his finger in his mouth, and took it out. A thin line of drool ebbed from his mouth to his finger, the threat of the wet willy evident from his mischevious smirk.

HEY!

Jinta and Ururu turned around and saw a very irate Karin praticularly frothing in the mouth.

"Oh Jinta, we have a customer."

"I'm not blind stupid! Well what do you want?"

A vein popped in her head as she tried to calm herself down.

"For starters why don't you let her go?" Her voice was calm but her body language was giving off a much different signal, her newly acquired Reiatsu rising rapidly.

Jinta was non perturbed by this sudden change in spiritual pressure. It was still weak compared to his own. "Besides, what are you going to do? You're just a girl."

Karin immediately ran up to Jinta and uppercutted his tiny ass through the ceiling like she was Ken from Street Fighter. All she could see was were his feet dangling from the hole, trying to kick his way out.

 _There. I feel a lot better._ Karin turned her attention to the blushing brunette.

"Thank you, Kurosaki San." Ururu now free from her bully, bowed her head in thanks, and asked if there was anything she could do to repay her.

"Is your Boss here? You know the one with the sandals?"

"No, he's been gone for a while now. I don't know when he'll be back."

Karin sighed disappointed, and turned away to leave. As she left the door she hit her fist against the store. Unlike her brother however, she wasn't hotheaded enough to cancel out the pain, and regretted it almost instantly.

Damn it! She didn't have time for this. She needed to find four eyes now! One thing she shared with her brother was her lack of patience, but to her it was well justified. If she couldn't find the strange teen, then she wouldn't be able to get her questions answered.

More importantly, she wouldn't be able to get strong enough to protect her family.

Before she could properly except defeat, she heard someone rush out the door.

"Kurosaki san! Is there anything else you need?"

"No it's f…. Wait! Have you seen a guy come with raven hair and glasses come in here!"

Ururu thought about it for a moment before she remembered him.

"Yes I have. If you are talking about who I think you are talking about, he's been in here a lot lately."

Karin shot back at attention, listening closely to the pigtailed girl. "Did he come here today?"

Ururu wasn't suposed to reveal a customer's secrets. But she shyly nodded in response hoping her boss wouldn't find out…

"Did he tell you where he was going?"

"No. But…"

"But what!"

Ururu stuttered. "I… Could… show you where he is…"

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Uryu had very little to do today. The hollows had not really appeared as much as the recently had. He counted only three weak, and wounded hollows at different ends of the town. Using Hirenkyaku meant It hadn't been that hard to get either place before the hollow could harm anybody.

To say that this was unusual was unusual to say the least. Since Aizen's defeat, the current trend was that the amount of hollows arriving in the world of the living was increasing. It wasn't anything not to be expected. Aizen was probably controlling the flow of hollows coming in, as to increase his forces and with him now dead, there was nothing to stop them from coming in.

What worried him was the almost immediate slowing of hollows appearing in Karakura Town. It had went from almost a dozen a day, to less than five. And it had happened almost instantly.

Then again, it could easily be a coincidence.

He realized that without having to hunt hollows he had very little to do. If he went home to sew, he would feel alone like he now usually did. All he would encounter were a few maids, butlers and once in a blue moon his father on a lunch break, and even if he did enjoy his father's cold, distant ignorance of him and his heritage, he barely ever went home, choosing instead to bury himself in his work.

Maybe he should visit Inoue. She needed the support now more than ever. Plus, it had turned the bitter enemies known as Tatsuki and Chizuru into uneasy allies. Whoever had managed to create _that_ miracle, really needed to go into the magic business. They could beat Houdini at his own game.

Then again… Tatsuki was now more picky at who could visit Inoue. Anyone that she saw as a threat to Inoue's happiness would be met with a glare so intense, it could shatter windows. The only reason Chizuru was allowed was that Orihime had asked them to stop fighting, obviously unaware of why they were fighting in the first place.

"Hey, four eyes!" A child's voice shouted behind Uryu.

Uryu's heart skipped a beat. Great. Not her again…

Uryu turned around and saw a short little girl wearing a red jacket and a white baseball cap walking slowly towards him. Uryu hoped that this was just another coincidence. He didn't want to use the Memory Chikan again.

 _Okay. Play it cool…_

"Why hello, who are-

Before Uryu could finish the sentence, Karin ran up to him and punched as hard as she could in the stomach sending him flying a couple feet.

"That's for doing whatever you did you creep!" Karin's spiritual pressure rose, giving her a distinct blue aura that went well with her infuriated face.

Uryu stood motionless on the ground for a couple seconds. _Great. Not only does she remember but has more spiritual pressure then she did before. This is going to be a hassle._

"Hey are you alright?" Karin not really concerned as much as a bit bewildered. Was this guy really as strong as thought?

"Yeah, I'm alright." Uryu tried to get up but found that the wind was knocked out of him. Suddenly Karin was above him.

"Listen I have some questions. First off, what are you?"

Uryu tried to evade the question. "I'm a highschool student."

" I know _that_ , I mean what kind of Shinigami are you?"

Uryu sighed. Clearly, he wasn't getting out of this one. Even after he escaped, or used the memory chikan again, she probably would continue to harass him constantly. So he might as well answer honestly. It would also give him a measure of how much she knew before.

"First of all, I'm not a Shinigami. I'm a Quincy."

"A what?"

"Call me a sort of… Warrior monk. We hunt hollows like Shinigami but I assure you we're nothing like Shinigami.

Karin hadn't even thought that there could be more then Shinigami and those demons… No, didn't he call them hollows? Karin had never felt more confused in her life.

"How did you know Ichigo?"

"We are friends in school. Your brother is a really honorable guy." Uryu wasn't confortable talking about his former rival, but he didn't want to lie either, so he told the truth.

"You mean you _were_ friends with him. My brother's dead."

Uryu was taken aback by this. She _knew_ that her brother was dead?

"What are you talking about? You're brother still al…

Uryu shut up once he glanced at the look on Karin's face. It was the look he had saw much too often on Ichigo's face. It was the look of someone trying to hold back their emotions. There was no point in denying it. She knew the truth about Ichigo. Uryu felt like an asshole. It was obviously still a fresh wound and he had just reopened it.

Uryu sighed, slowly got up, and dusted off his cloak. He was about to offer his condolences when Karin asked him something he didn't expect he would be asked.

"How can I be like you?"

Uryu was getting more and more shocked by the moment. "What?"

"I'm tired of being useless. Please, I can't stand by as my family is in danger. Please help me get stronger."

Uryu immediately regained his composure. He felt sorry for her, but he had to be blunt.

"Listen. You can't just suddenly be one of us. You have to have our blood inside you-

Karin answered by pulling her cross out of her pocket. Uryu just stared and gaped at it dumbstruck. Where did you-

"It was my mother's. I found it in the attic."

Uryu felt like his mind was having some kind of computing error. So many questions were coming up without any reasonable answers. Ichigo was part Quincy? Why didn't his father mention that? Did Ichigo's father know?

"So will you help me?

Uryu decided to think this over. On one hand Karin Kurosaki was just a kid. She wasn't mature enough to understand the responsibilities of having such power. On the other hand, he knew that he had a debt to pay for Kurosaki.

Besides, he didn't have the right to refuse her.

"If I say yes will you follow everything I say? "

Karin nodded.

"Are you sure you want this? Do you have any idea what you are intrusted with? This power is not to be used to impress your friends."

"I know."

Uryu know he was going to regret this. What the hell did he know about being a teacher? But if Kurosaki's sister really wanted this…

"Yes. I will help you."

 **Short notes for a long chapter! Sorry it took so long guys. I just recently went back to school so I haven't had time.**

 **I appreciate your constant support! Thank you for staying with me for this long!**

 **Also you can thank WarriorOfTheHealingFlame for convincing me to add the fight scene! Check out his deviantart where's he called Abei34!**

 **Peace!**

 **EDIT: Oh my god I just realized how many mistakes this chapter and the last had! I am so sorry guys!**

 **):**

 **Thank you KimranReech for pointing it out. I really do owe you one! I have a talk with my betareader but it was me who screwed the pooch on this one. You guys deserve better.**


	8. The Young Past Grows

**Four days later**

In Karakura town there are two main hospitals. One was the Kurosaki clinic, a place for minor injuries such as sprained ankles, yellowed bruises, and accidental cuts. There you would find an incredibly chaotic environment. You would be treated by a doctor who was loud yet kind and polite (especially to pretty ladies), and his cute young daughters dressed and acting like nurses. The atmosphere was wild due to the cramped quarters, the daughters having to run like headless chicks to get supplies and with the occasional fist fight between the rarely seen ginger teen and his kooky dad, they often had the attention of the gossiping neighbors and townsfolk.

Still the mood in the tiny hospital was jolly and cheerful. The grizzled doctor was full of jokes for the old and young alike and had a reassuring aura about him. His daughters were courteous and adorable, each having enough cuteness to cheer up even the most depressed person. Each of them worked hard to give their patients tender care and a cheerful mood. So, they were often sent home feeling much better.

Of course, the infirmary didn't have the means to treat severe injuries. For that you would have to go to the hospital near the train station. Most of the doctors were stone cold professionals used to the possibility of losing their patients. Many of them had long since learned to lose all sentimentality for their patients, but still giving the barest of bedside manner. The administrator of the hospital was Ryuken Ishida the coldest of all doctors and professionals.

He often stayed in the hospital, preferring the rhythmic tedium of paperwork and surgery over the cold emptiness of his home. Right now, he was in his office eating lunch. If you looked at him with a cursory glance you think he was just a cliché doctor, cynical and bitter from years of losing patients, and free time.

But he had a secret. Unknown to most people, he was part of a clan of warriors that had long ago went into the shadows and disappeared in the annals of history. His line in particular was one of the most powerful sects of his kind, a line once well known to most of his race.

And he hated it.

Anyone who knew the truth about Ryuken knows he had no warmness for his heritage. He rarely used his abilities for anything, instead hoping that his he and the smoldering remnants of his race would forget all about it and die off already. All it had ever gotten him was the death of love ones, so why should he ever get involved in the affairs of the spirit realm? Actual living people needed him and his _useful_ skills. If he got involved if would just leave more living people dead…

But then there was his son.

His son had become enamored with the idea of the chivalrous Quincy by his foolish grandfather. Now he sought singlehandedly to keep the embers alight regardless of their inevitable extinction.

He was so naïve, didn't he realize that he was going to get himself killed? It was Ryuken's fault. Uryu didn't know the full truth about his grandfather or the Quincy. He had danced around until now, hoping his son would come to his senses like he did.

That was before Ichigo Kurosaki died.

He couldn't imagine how Isshin was feeling. He could tell that he was barely getting any sleep. To make things worse, he was constantly trying to pretend that everything was perfectly fine to protect his daughters from the truth. It took all his strength to keep up the act of normality. His friend was strong but cracks were starting to show.

Then again, he didn't blame him. Both of them had seen the heartbreak on a child's face when they lost a part of their family. The brief look of denial, the shock in their eyes from the revelation, the stuttering sobs…

 _Masaki's lost was enough…_

And Uryu…

He could tell that Uryu and Ichigo were friends, just like he and Isshin were. And that should have been his wakeup call. But Uryu had proven just as stubborn as his mother. He just refused to learn his lesson.

Ryuken sighed and glanced to the left corner of his desk. There had been a picture of him, Uryu, and Kanae there. Kanae had wanted to have Soken there as well but Ryuken had put his foot down. He didn't even want to take the picture, but Kanae had insisted.

After her death, he had taken down every picture in his office. It was easier than having reminders of the family he had lost. He put all his energy into his work becoming the director in only a few years. His son was often ignored, their relationship becoming more and more distant until he almost stopped coming home all together.

 _I've lost so many years… And my family just keeps getting smaller. Has my hair always been this white? Or is it that I've turned more into my father then I wanted?_

It hurt Ryuken that his son no longer called him his father, but Ryuken thought he was just a spoiled child not knowing of the consequences of his actions. He had decided that if he had to get hurt in order to realize why the dead should be left alone.

Ryuken knew that he had been an idiot. Uryu was the only family he had left, and he almost let him get killed. That was why he had been more willing to help Uryu, just in case he bit off more than he could chew _._

 _He will never stop this madness._

The realization hit him like a Cero. He never even thought that it was possibility but here he was forced to accept that his son would never learn from his mistakes. He was effectively committing suicide.

 _No. I'll take his damn powers away before that happens!_

 _I need to see him. Talk to him for once. Perhaps this time…_

 _This time…_

 _Things will be different._

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"Ishida-san?" The nurse knocked on Ryuken's door. "Are you okay? You been in there for two hours."

The door swung open and there was no one in the room.

.

.

.

Ryuken wished he hadn't forgot his coat. The autumn air was choppy and windy sure but he could care less for a potential flu. Ryuken had most of his _ginto_ in linings underneath the pockets.

It wasn't that he was afraid he couldn't defeat his son. Compared to him, Soken, or Masaki Uryu was just a drop in the bucket. He just didn't want to hurt his son.

Besides he doubted that his son would come quietly though he also doubted his son would make a scene… At least until they got off the school grounds.

Ryuken sighed in self disgust, almost laughing at the irony. _What a hypocrite you are, you let your son go into Hueco Mundo without a care for whether he lived or died but now you're afraid of giving him a few bruises and scrapes? What a failure of a father you are._

Ryuken eventually made it to the school. There he was told by a burly gym teacher that Uryu hadn't come to school that day. Judging from how loud the gym teacher was yelling, it was safe to say Uryu wasn't exactly the teacher's pet.

"Damn lazy your son is! Him and that Ichigo Kurosaki regularly cut class with the rest of their misfit friends. We didn't even have gym today and they still didn't come to school!"

"What's even worse is that they're a bad influence on Inoue-san. She was a sweet girl until a few weeks ago. She hasn't come to school for days. Probably out partying all night, too hungover to get to school."

 _She has PTSD, You clueless idiot._ Ryuken was frusterated but kept up a calm and disinterested façade.

"I see. And how long has he been skipping class?"

"Ever since freshman year. We tried to call you but you never answered. I never even seen or heard of you before now." The tanned educator looked up at him with curiosity. "What makes you want to come her now?"

Since Ryuken was a mature adult he didn't punch the teacher in the face for coming up with such a low blow. It hurt more that it was true.

"Thank you for your time." Ryuken said before leaving. There was no point in staying her any further lest he decided to punch the gym teacher in the face. Uryu wasn't here. Furthermore, Ryuken lacked an alibi and was in no mood deal with the police or find a place to hide the body.

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.

.

 _September 17_ _th_ _1992\. Kanae Katagiri is dead._

 _Ryuken didn't cry when her physician told him, though time seemed to move ever so slower. His heart seemed to drown out the doctor's words before he finally walked out._

 _He remained calm and slowly walked to the waiting room to see his son and father._

 _Uryu had fallen asleep but jolted awake when Soken tapped him._

" _Dad. He yawned and looked up at him expectedly. "Did mommy wake up yet?"_

 _Ryuken resisted the urge to cringe. Ryuken had tried to get him to understand that Kanae was never going to wake up, but Uryu either refused or couldn't didn't understand. That made it worst._

 _Ryuken had talked to children who lost a loved one before and had thought that was the worst thing he had to do. But this…_

 _He had known that this was going to happen but that just made it harder._

 _When Ryuken told him Uryu looked frozen in disbelief, just like his father was. But in less than a second Uryu was crying, snot and tears covering his face. Ryuken was going to try and comfort him but Soken was there first._

" _Uryu, it's okay. It's going to be fine. Your mother's is in a better place."_

 _Ryuken sighed and left them, too defeated to even bother arguing with his father as he just told more lies._

 _Kanae wasn't in heaven. And neither was Masaki. If what he had heard from Soken was true it was the opposite…_

 _Ryuken's legs eventually gave out so he put his on the wall to steady himself. He took off his glasses to prevent the tears from blinding him._

 _Kanae… Masaki… I couldn't do anything to help. Please forgive me._

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Tatsuki walked in the rain carrying a bag of odd food ingredients. That seemed like the best medicine.

She didn't like leaving her with Chizuru for very long. It had not been that long ago since they had been bitter foes. She was the only one of their friends who knew the truth or who even bothered to see Orihime though, but whether it was because of lust or love she honestly didn't know.

Tatsuki sighed and continued to move hoping that the bag wouldn't get too wet. Every now and again she stopped when a ghost passed through her. There seemed to be more of them now, though that to be expected considering there was no Shinigami here.

That was another slap in the face. The damned Shinigami had cause so much trouble for the town and Orihime.

Tatsuki's thoughts seemed to be entirely composed of memories and worrying for Orihime. She remembered that ever since she had been a kid, Tatsuki had been at Orihime's side. They had become so close that Tatsuki thought of her like one of her sisters.

She remembered when she first met her. It was after she and Ichigo were beginning to drift away from each other. A few assholes thought they could take advantage of her kindness by constantly cutting her hair and picking on her. Tatsuki naturally beat the shit out of them when she caught them trying to do it again.

Orihime came to thank her the next day.

"Why did you let them attack you like that?" Tatsuki looked at Orihime and saw that she was staring at the floor, playing with her hands nervously.

"I-I couldn't just hurt them." Tears were running down her eyes. "I can't hurt anybody. Besides I don't need my hair that long anyway."

Tatsuki decided to start hanging out with her. She didn't have any friends and Tatsuki was a loner anyway.

She remembered that Orihime looked shocked when she came to sit down with her on lunch. That wouldn't be the last time. Tatsuki starting to hang out with her more and more. It didn't take long for Orihime to open to her.

She was incredible. She was so kind and sweet. How anybody could even think of being mean to her was beyond her understanding. Tatsuki started to open herself to her as well, sharing hopes, dreams, laughter, secrets. Eventually she decided to help her. She encouraged her to be confident, to stand up for herself and others, to let her hair grow if she wanted it to.

Still Orihime couldn't hurt a fly. Tatsuki wanted to protect that. She would never let anyone hurt her, be it boys who wanted her for selfish reasons, or girls who were jealous of her beauty.

Tatsuki had failed. She was weak, unable to help Orihime or Ichigo. Sometimes she wished that this was just a horrible nightmare, that she would wake up and Ichigo would be alive and Orihime back to her old self.

She had realized something was wrong when she didn't come to school the next day. The perverted candy store order had told her she was back but wouldn't let her see her. Eventually she forced herself in the shop.

Orihime was lying in a bed covered in blood and viscera, she was outfitted in some sort of white dress. Tatsuki ran to her and held her glad that she was okay.

Orihime didn't respond. She just stared into space with a glassy look in her eyes.

Mr. Hat and Clogs told her it was shock but he looked uncomfortable explaining why.

"Why not? Tell me why Orihime's like that! What happened?" She grabbed him by his shirt and got in his face.

He sighed and told her the truth.

She didn't remember much from then. It most had been partially repressed or something. She remembered calling him a liar, punching him, demanding to see Ichigo. But the thing that was most vivid was that Orihime seemed to break out of her shock, crying incoherently…

Everything seemed to only get worst from that day onward. She had returned to school a few days later, shy and withdrawn. When Chizuru had jumped her, instead of her seeming ignorance she screamed and pushed her off. Orihime ran out of the room crying with apologies. She, Mahana, Ryo, and Chizuru had followed her but to Tatsuki's shock Ichigo was there.

 _He ran away, that bastard I should have kicked his ass more! Mr. Hat and Clogs shouldn't have done that it would just hurt her more!_

It had been weeks since she had last went to school. Tatsuki had been spending as much free time as she could, visiting Orihime, trying to make her feel better. She had read books about her condition in an attempt to help her but things seemed to be going slowly.

Tatsuki hoped that she was doing the right thing. Her parents were starting to question why she was doing all of this but Tatsuki couldn't tell them. She couldn't tell anyone or Orihime may be commited.

Who would believe she was telling the truth anyway?

Tatsuki's inner monologue was interrupting when she bumped into someone and slipl on the ground. She just barely managed to hold on the bag.

"Hey! Get out of the way it's raining outside!"

"Sorry! I'm kinda in a hurry!"

Tatsuki looked down and saw that she had ran into a small girl, around eleven or twelve with short black hair. She had an odd pentacle thing wrapped around her right wrist. It took a minute for Tatsuki to recognize her.

It was Ichigo's sister.

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 **Sorry to cut the chapter short but it's getting too long and this seemed like a decent place to stop it. I personally think this is a way better chapter then the shlock I gave you last time. That chapter is getting removed immediately by the way.**

 **I was always interested in Tatsuki and Ryuken mainly because they are such interesting characters that were thrown to the wayside without them getting any awesome moments or character development. So yeah they're definitely going to have a huge part in this story!**

 **I tried really hard to make this chapter as good as I can possibly make it. I was so depressed by how bad the last chapter was, that I missed school a couple days. I also felt that I couldn't in good conscience continue any of my other stories without fixing this one. You guys deserve better from me and a better story. If there are any problems please tell me immediately.**

 **This is revolver otacon signing out.**


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